Lily's Letter
by Lady Maria
Summary: Sometimes what we believe is the truth is fiction. Such was Harry's life and even what he was told about his parents but a final letter sets the record straight.


Disclaimer: I do not own the characters.  Otherwise, HE (and all ya'll that read Order of the Phoenix know who I'm talking about) wouldn't be dead.  Yes, this is semi-alternate reality. 

I wish I could tell him or be with him, but it isn't to be.  Dumbledore has decreed that I should be in hiding and that my nephew shall never know me.  Voldemort didn't kill us, as the Wizarding World believes.  He never got the chance to use Avada Kedavra on James and I; Harry was the first one he attacked. But Harry doesn't know that anymore than he knows that Severus was never a true Deatheater. 

Don't get me wrong, I know that my brother was far from perfect, but he didn't join Voldemort's forces. The Order needed someone to go undercover. We drew straws and I got the short one. I still recall his expression as he told me he would take my place.  I really hate Dumbledore sometimes, but I don't think I ever hate him more than when his plans threaten my family.

Dumbledore never let me tell Sev the truth and now, unless Voldemort is vanquished forever before I die, he will never know it.  I am infertile because when I was sixteen, I had a healer draw all the eggs from my stomach.  I never really wanted to have to worry about consequences from sex, so I got rid of the most looming one.  It wasn't like I really ever wanted anything more than one night stands anyway.  And people always said that Sirius, Mr.-I'm-devoted-to-my-mate-Remus, was the loose one of us.

Harry is not my son, as almost everyone believes. Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs are the only ones that know the truth.  Actually, Pomfrey knows some of the truth as well but I doubt she knows all of it.  James conceived Harry, but as I said, Harry is not **our** child.  

He was conceived exactly a year after Sev became a Deatheater.  They were fighting again, this time because Voldemort wanted Sev to go on some mission and Dumbledore wanted James to go on a counter mission. I don't even remember what the details of the missions were; isn't that ironic since I have a sharp memory and was in the room as the fight took place? But like most of their fights, it traveled to their bedroom.  As far as I know, that was the last time they ever made love. 

They'd fought before but after this time they never really spoke again.  It was simply a matter of pride, I know, but they never even really trusted each other again.  That doesn't mean that I didn't see the looks they shot each other when they thought no one was looking.  

Merlin, but how I hate Dumbledore for forcing them into being on opposite sides that mission.  Maybe that was when I finally saw how manipulative he was; I don't know for sure.  I do know that by the time James knew for certain that he was pregnant, I couldn't stand that sneaky wizard. 

Seventeen years after my nephew gave our world a reprieve from the Dark Lord, the battle has come almost full circle.  That the reason why I write this on a parchment that is spelled to be sent to the only girl my nephew is fond of, Hermione Granger, via Padfoot and Moony.  This letter will arrive in my oldest friends' care two days after the final battle is over.  I figure that if they are dead then the secrets will remain hidden, for I am no fool.  I have said before that I do not trust Albus Dumbledore and from the whispers that the house elves carry amongst themselves, my distrust is earned. The way I figure it, is that Sev and Harry both deserve the truth, and hopefully James will be there to it tell them.

I can only hope that James and I will survive this; if not, Hermione, you, Moony, or Padfoot will be the only ones who can tell them.  May we all get through this final battle, my girl, and Merlin bless.

Lily Evans Snape

********

Hermione Granger was still crying as she read the last words.  The War was over but the death toll of the final battle had been incredible.  The last three to go down were the ones that had stopped Voldemort.  Severus Snape had joined forces with Draco Malfoy and Draco's lover…Harry.  The three of them had had to use every bit of magic that existed between them to defeat Voldemort and Albus Dumbledore.  Unfortunately, they when they used their magic up, they'd used their life forces up as well.  A magical anything was completely connected with their magic, so draining one's self dry was not an option unless you wanted to be greeting your maker.  And so, the two people the letter was intended for would instead find out in heaven because Lily had been right in not trusting Dumbledore with hers and James's lives. 

Drying her eyes, Hermione set fire to the piece of parchment. The world didn't need to know what Lily had written, because all of the people mentioned in the letter were dead.  All except her, and she wasn't even more than an observer.  

"May you rest in peace as none of you could in life," she said quietly.  "I'll see you when my time comes, but until then, goodbye." 


End file.
